Kuzul

Two of the best-hitting free agents have hit the open market this offseason, and teams who are in the market for a first baseman are ready to pounce.

So who is actually the better buy?

Albert Pujols will go down as one of the top three baseball players of all-time, a list that includes Babe Ruth and Willie Mays. He has won two out of the three World Series’ that he has appeared in and is coming off of a World Series run with the St. Louis Cardinals. He hits the free agent market for the first time in his career and is demanding a 10 year, $300 million contract. 

Pujols is a hot commodity this offseason, but he does have competition at the same position in Prince Fielder.

Fielder is a player that is loved around the league and by fans. He has the personality to lift a franchise and bring it to relevance.  

Teams such as the Cubs, Marlins, Giants and even the Rangers are all in the market for a big-hitting first baseman. The Cubs desperately need a new star for their franchise that is revamping in hopes of breaking their World Series curse. The Marlins have a new stadium and need to fill it up by winning, and the Giants have great pitching but desperately need bats. The Texas Rangers have fallen short of winning the World Series two years in a row, and have hitters at every position but first base. Adding Fielder or Pujols would give the Rangers the most prolific batting lineup in MLB history.

Each of these teams will do whatever it takes to sign these guys, but who is the better buy?

Price

Before last season began, Pujols was demanding a $300 million contract at 10 years, which is $25 million more than what Alex Rodriguez signed a few years back. Pujols is a much better player than Rodriguez, and if Pujols was a few years younger, I would believe he deserved the contract. Instead, Pujols would be 41 years old at the end of the contract and his production will not even be close to what it is today. 

Prince would likely command a contract in the vicinity of what Carl Crawford and Mark Teixeira received recently, which is significantly lower then what Pujols is demanding. $200 million is a lot better than $300 million for a similar type of power hitter. If the choice was solely on price than the discounted price of Fielder would be a no-brainer.

Age

At 31 years old, Pujols is four years older than Fielder and is still playing at an MVP level. In a few years, it is likely that Pujols’ bat swing will slow down and his production will decline. An eight-to-10 year contract for a player who is going to be 32 years old by next season is not worth it.

It would make more sense to give that type of contract to Fielder, who plays the same position, is the same type of power hitter and is only 27 years old. 

Marketability 

Baseball needs someone with a likable personality in the realms of Peyton Manning, Shaquille O’Neal and Steve Nash. Although Pujols has been the best player in baseball this decade, he is not recognizable nor marketable.

Prince Fielder has the name, the talent and personality to be that guy for baseball. Fielder was tucked away in the small market of Milwaukee, but if he were to play for a bigger market such as the Cubs or the Rangers he would likely take the league by storm. 

Winning

Albert Pujols has led his Cardinals to seven playoff trips out of his eleven seasons, which is remarkable in professional baseball standards. He has also won two World Series during that span. When you compare that to Fielder’s two post season appearances in his seven-year career then you would think that it is a no-brainer in signing Pujols.

Fielder has never had the supporting cast that Pujols has had. Pujols’ owner has a “win now” mentality every season, while Fielder’s owner has had a tough time retaining and signing players. Fielder is in his prime and continuing the incline of getting better. With a solid supporting cast, I have no doubt that he can lead his teams just as Pujols has. 

Conclusion

The Cardinals have to retain Pujols and will need to do whatever it takes to sign him. The other teams who are in the market for a power-hitting first baseman need to put their full attention on Fielder because they will get the same production from a player who is younger, more marketable and will cost significantly less.

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